Abstract

Poultry meat is susceptible to oxidation but increased antioxidant enzyme increases its availability in muscle during processing and storage. In livestock, synthetic antioxidant has some side effects; plant polyphenols can enhance the level of antioxidant enzymes but they are in-active in the gut of chicken and therefore, nanotechnology can be of importance in augmenting the stability of polyphenols. In the study, seventy two rainbow rooster chickens were treated with nanoparticles- prepared from Chitosan with Aqueous Garlic and Onion (CHIAGO), chitosan with total phenol and ajoene rich extract (CHITPA), and chitosan solution (CHISOLN) of 5 to 10%, with 0.5 g and 1 g Fosbac (antibiotic) administered orally twice a week for a period of 8 weeks. One chicken from each of the group and a control group were sacrificed on weekly basis with the muscles and visceral organs removed for analysis. The weight of visceral organs, catalase (CAT) enzyme activities of thigh and breast were analyzed from 1st to 8th weeks and 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-picryl hydroxyl (DPPH) inhibition of thigh and breast muscles for 1st, 4th and 8th weeks. Relative weight of the heart, liver and spleen did not change when compared with the control (p>0.05) but it increased in the gizzard (p<0.05). Catalase increased in thigh and breast muscles (p>0.05) but without increase in the erythrocytes and liver (p>0.05). DPPH inhibition increased with CHIAGO 10%, CHITPA 10% in week 4 and week 8 in the breast and thigh muscle. Garlic and onion extract chitosan nanoparticles can act as natural antioxidant compound.

Key words: Chitosan, garlic and onion extract, visceral organ, meat, antioxidant enzyme activities.